Can you identify an organization that has been successful for at least 10 years and what factors that contributed to its success?

There are two type of organizations to consider when deciding which to highlight. First we there are FOR profit organizations, also known as business organizations, which take the shape of corporations. The second is the NON-profit organization, which is a working group of leaders and employees (sometimes volunteers) with a common goal that does not include earning money from things that they sell or produce. Two examples of successful organizations of each kind are the McDonald’s corporation (business organization), and the American Red Cross (non-profit organization).

Since your question is under the “business” category let us focus on the McDonald’s corporation. Serving “over 64 million customers around the world on a daily basis” it is no wonder that this is the largest and most successful hamburger chain in the world. Following the successful organization model, the McDonald’s corporation describes itself as an organization that ensures success by adopting a customer-centered mantra that includes:

Placing the customer experience “at the core” of what they do- The McDonald’s corporation site says that their goal is “quality, service, cleanliness and value (QSC&V) for each and every customer, each and every time”

Commitment to “their” people- The organization provides leadership training and professional opportunities to its employees, who are “well-trained” and encouraged to foster respect and “high levels of engagement”.

A believe in the “McDonald’s system”- This refers to the McDonald’s business model which, according to their site is called the “three-legged stool of owner/operators, suppliers, and company employees”. This denotes a firm grasp of the mission and the vision of the organization.

A desire for ethics- The company holds itself “accountable and collectively responsible” for conducting fair and honest practices. This accountability is a key factor in organizational success: it entails that the organization will not come up with excuses for bad service simply because there will be no bad service.

Community outreach- Leadership is also a key to the organization. However, the success of McDonald’s is that its leadership extends past the boundaries of their own mission and vision; they also want to give back. For this, the organization opened the Ronald McDonald House charities, with children as the most impacted part of the community.

Sustained profitable growth- The Corporation describes itself as a “publicly traded company” which continuously reviews its focus and the “health” of the group. By health, it is meant the overall atmosphere, working conditions, commitment and level of engagement of both employees and leaders alike.

Strive to improve- McDonald’s will always find room for improvement. This entails adding products, which also means running more tests, conducting more surveys, and looking for more ways to satisfy a steady and massive demand. All of this equals solid quality assurance.

These tenets are posted as the corporation’s mission and goal and as part of its leadership and direction. All of these are the main factors that have solidified the business across the world, maintaining its steady profit as well as its success.